35th Annual Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign is gearing up to help replenish food shelves across the state during the month of March. Some 300 local food shelves across Minnesota depend on this effort to help meet hunger needs in their communities.

Historically, March has been identified by food shelf and other hunger relief workers as a critical time of year. Donations are typically way down following the holidays and hunger remains persistent. Ironically, while the economy overall has been improving, the number of hungry neighbors among us remains stubbornly high. Minnesota FoodShare reports that the number of elderly in Minnesota who are seeking hunger relief has nearly doubled since 2009. Curt Peterson, Interim President and CEO of Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), says “hunger and access to sufficient amounts of healthy foods continues to be a concern in many communities. Food shelves across the state had more than 3 million visits in 2016, making it six years running that we’ve hit that troubling benchmark.”

The Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign encourages individuals, businesses, faith communities, civic organizations, schools, and other groups to support their local food shelf during the month of March. People can connect with their local food shelf or they may register with Minnesota FoodShare to become an official March Campaign partner in collecting food and donations on behalf of their local food shelf. Information and registration is available on the Minnesota FoodShare website at www.mnfoodshare.org.

“Even if you aren’t able to organize to support your local food shelf, you can make a difference by making a donation directly to Minnesota FoodShare” says Peterson, “funds raised during the March Campaign will be distributed to participating food shelves. Cash is most valuable to food shelves because they can purchase exactly what their community needs and they can get about $4 worth of groceries for every $1 they spend.”

The 2017 March Campaign kicks off during the week of February 27 and runs through March 31, 2017.

Minnesota FoodShare has been fighting hunger in Minnesota through local community action since 1982. A program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), Minnesota FoodShare mobilizes communities to raise food and funds for 300 partnering food shelves and works year-round to advocate on behalf of the hungry.